Tray with gripping legs



April 2, 1957 c. POWERS TRAY WITH GRIPPING LEGS Filed Dec. 11, 1953 INVENTOR. NORMA/V a. BY 40 Q POWERS A TTOR/VE Y TRAY WITH GPING LEGS Norman C. Powers, Chula Vista, (Ialif.

Application December 11, 1953, Serial N 0. 397,601

2 Claims. (Cl. 311-17) The present invention relates to a tray and support therefor, and more particularly relates to a safety support in the form of gripping legs to be used in connection with a tray or other like devices to support such tray or other device, to prevent its tilting whether on rounded or on flat angular surfaces.

There is illustrated in the drawing and described hereinbelow in this specification an exemplary embodiment of the instant invention wherein a tray structure has cooperatively arranged therewith gripping leg means that are resiliently and pivotally mounted thereon to grip and clamp whatever is to support the tray, such as a chair arm or a persons leg etc. It will be recognized, of course, that the present invention is of general utility and many embodiments thereof may be made without departing from the true spirit and scope thereof.

Thus, it is an object and feature of this invention to provide an attachment means in connection with trays, desk pads, or the like, which will firmly secure them to a chair arm, window sill, fence rail, or to the arm or leg of a person.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this class which will provide a serving tray arrangement for seated persons, thereby eliminating the need for special tables, and provide substantial stability and attachment means to prevent tilting or dropping of the tray.

Yet another object and feature of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this class with fastening means which may be readily operated by light finger pressure to open the same, and which may be closed by torsional action of a spring which is a part of said apparatus and fastening means.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a securing apparatus of this class which may be quickly attached to serving trays, desk pads, or the like, and which is operative with a compressive action to restrain and restrict and hold any free movement of the object to which it is attached and thereby hold the object firmly.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this class which is very simple and economical of construction, easy to manufacture, durable, efficient and which will not readily deteriorate or get out of order.

With these and other objects in View as will appear hereinafter, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon, which form a part of this specification and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my tray and safety support shown in position on a fragmentary portion of the leg of an individual.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary bottom perspective view of States Patent 2,787,507 Patented Apr. 2, 1957 my tray and safety support on an enlarged scale from that of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detailed view of the torsional spring and its relation with the tray and portions of the safety support and showing portions thereof broken away, and in section to facilitate the illustration.

Figure 4 is a perspective view from the lower side of a supporting bracket to be used on a relatively flat surface to which my safety support may be secured for supporting this tray.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts and portions throughout the several views of the drawrngs.

The tray 1, tray legs and supports 2, supporting grip levers or clamp members or legs 3, finger control grip levers 4, and torsion springs 5, constitute the principal parts and portions of my tray and safety support in its preferred form.

The tray 1, as shown herein, is made with three integral compartments or sections, however, it is obvious that it may be made in single section, and may be made in any shape or outline desired. It is provided with a plurality of short curved leg members or feet 2, which are integral with the tray or secured in spaced relation around the outer edge of the tray member 1, and extend slightly below the same to form rigid foot rests for the tray, and they extend upwardly to the outer edge of the tray at their upper ends.

It will be here noted that it is preferred to provide spaced pairs of these legs or feet 2 near the upper side edges of the tray, as shown best in Figure 2 of the drawings. Pivotally mounted in holes 2a near the upper ends of these feet 2, at opposite sides of the tray, are the extended ends of the supporting grip levers 3, which grip levers or legs 3 are U-shaped and provided with curved portions arranged to conform with the contour of the lower edges of the tray. The legs 3 are bent at a right angle near their ends and arranged to fit into the holes 2a in the feet 2. Secured to these extended ends of the legs 3, designated 3a, preferably by welding, are parallel ends 4a of the finger control grip levers 4. These levers 4 are turned at right angles and extend some distance and then form a U-shaped lever 4, which is secured to the legs 3 as a base, so that legs may be operated by the lever 4 by a finger grip between it and the tray or otherwise. The leg 3 is shifted together with the 1ever4 by releasing the gripping relation of the leg 3 with the object for supporting the tray. Coiled around the portions 3-a and 4a of the legs 3 and levers 4- positioned between the feet 2 and right angle turns of the levers 3 and 4 is a torsion spring 5, the one end 5a being provided with a loop portion 5-a which extends around the lever 4 near the portion 4-a and the other end of said coil spring 5 is provided with the loop portion 5-!) which extends around the upper end of the feet 2, all as shown best in Figure 3 of the drawings.

The cooperation between the clamping legs 3, the lever 4, the springs 5 and the tray 1 with its feet 2 is such that finger pressure applied between the edge of the tray 1 and the levers 4 will cause the levers and leg assemblies to rotate about the pivot provided by the ends 3a of the legs 3 and the holes 2a in the feet 2. This rotation of the legs 3 will be outwardly against the force of the torsion springs 5. The rotation may be sufficiently great to sufficiently widely spread the legs 3 to receive therebetween whatever the tray is to be clamped onto, such as a persons leg or the arm of a chair etc.

Upon release of the finger pressure the legs will clamp the supporting article under the force of the springs 5, and clamp the tray thereto thereby securely supporting the tray. To release the tray from the supporting article merely involves reversing the above procedure.

In order to provide a special fastener for the safety support in order to fasten the tray onto a flat surface 14 applicant has provided a special adjustable device to be secured on any substantially flat surface, either horizontal or angular, to which applicants safety support may be secured for holding a tray or like member. The fastener consists of base members 6 and 7, which is substantially rectangular, and each are provided with vacuum cups 8 for securing said members 6 and 7 rigidly in position in certain relation to each other on any flat surface. The member 6 is provided with a single extended leg member 9 which is provided with tongues 10, at its opposite sides. The member 7 is provided with bifurcated legs 11 which are provided with grooves arranged to receive the tongues 10, so that the leg 9 is reciprocably mounted between the legs 11 and thereby provide adjustment for the member 6 relatively to the member 7 for receiving the safety support consisting of the members 3, 4 and 5 as hereinbefore described. The special fastener of Figure 4 is utilized by pressing the suction cups 8 against the surface to which the device is to be secured and adjusting the spacing of the base members 6 and 7. Such pressure will secure the suction cups and the whole fastener to the fiat surface. The suction cups will also space the base members 6 and 7 and the legs 9 and 11 thereof from the flat surface.

Thereafter, the tray and its gripping leg assembly are secured to the fastener in the same manner that they are secured to other objects.

The supporting and gripping legs may be applied to a large variety of dififerent kinds of surfaces, curved or flat, or angular, since they are self-adjusting and controlled by the torsion spring 5. The slight yieldability of the legs 3 permits them to conform to different shapes and contours of trays or other like members but they are still rigid enough to amply secure the tray or other member in a safe position on which the tray or other member may be used.

The shape of the tray or object to be supported safely is not critical and may be without supporting feet or lugs if desired since the supporting gripping legs 3, may be formed to conform to the surface of the tray or other member with which they contact when in closed relation, as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, and they may be hinged to other parts thereof. The safety support may be secured to the tray without the feet, if desired, and the supporting gripping legs 3, when opened, will securely engage any kind of surface, such as the leg or arm of an individual, the arm of a chair, or any surface having side edges of proper width for the engagement. When in the closed position, as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, the assembly may rest on any flat surface with the levers 4 providing ample support with the legs 3 folded over each other, as shown in Figure 2.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, I do not wish to be limited to this particular construction, combination and arrangement, but desire to cover all variations and modifications of construction, combination and arrangement that fall within the true spirit and scope of the novel concepts and principles of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination in a device to be supported on and removably secured to another object, a tray, a plurality of spaced feet on said tray, said feet being arranged in spaced pairs and disposed at edges of said tray, a pair of U-shaped legs, each of said legs having a pair of free ends, said ends being bent to extend inwardly of the U-shape of said legs, each of the four feet of opposed pairs thereof having an aperture therein receiving an end of said legs respectively thereby providing a pivotal assembly of said legs and said tray, an end of each leg also carrying a torsion spring thereon one end of which abuts the leg and the other end of which abuts the foot receiving the end of the leg, and a U-shaped lever fixedly secured to each leg near the ends thereof, whereby finger pressure applied between said levers and the edges of said tray will pivotally move said legs outwardly against force of the torsion springs and release of said finger pressure permits inward pivotal movement of said legs to clamp a support object therebetween by force of the torsion springs.

2. In combination in a device to be supported on or removably secured from another object, a surface member, a pair of U-shaped legs, each of said legs having a pair of free ends, said ends being configurated to extend inwardly of the U-shape of said legs, a pair of apertures in said surface member at each of a pair of opposed sides thereof receiving an end of said legs respectively thereby providing a pivotal assembly between said legs and said member, an end of each leg also carrying a torsion spring thereon one end of which abuts the leg and the other end of which abuts the member adjacent to the aperture therein receiving the end of the leg, and a lever fixedly secured to each leg near the ends thereof, whereby finger pressure applied between said levers and the edges of said surface member will pivotally move said legs outwardly against the force of the torsion springs and release of such finger pressure permits inward pivotal movement of said legs to clamp a support object therebetween by the force of the torsion springs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,606,441 Nelms Nov. 9, 1926 1,640,441 Conrad Aug. 30, 1927 2,054,098 Rich Sept. 15, 1936 2,157,001 Morley May 2, 1939 2,423,529 Taylor July 8, 1947 2,647,716 Hudziak et al. Aug. 4, 1953 2,650,870 Carpenter Sept. 1, 1953 2,663,603 Newman Dec. 22, 1953 2,669,495 Foote Feb. 16, 1954 2,692,174 Whitehead Oct. 19, 1954 2,714,542 Glass Aug. 2, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 220,337 Great Britain Aug. 20, 1924 267,344 Switzerland Mar. 31, 1950 

